412 Tasting Notes

42
drank White Peach by Adagio Teas
412 tasting notes

I’m not a huge fan. I’ve been enjoying white teas a little more lately, so I went looking for my Adagio white sampler today, and.. well, maybe I didn’t make this the way it should be. I’ll try steeping it longer next time.

I can taste the peach just fine, though it’s not overpowering, but I almost wish it were because I’m not impressed with the white tea base. I used 2 grams of tea for a 4oz pot, but it just doesn’t have the rich mouthfeel I’ve been getting from (say) LeafSpa’s Silver Needle or Rishi’s Snowbud. It has lasted for two steeps so far.

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 2 min, 15 sec
Cofftea

I got nothin for ya… I would normally suggest more leaf, but you used more than I do. Longer steeping time? I like my whites for no more than 3 min, but the extra 45 sec may do it good… but then again I like mine cooler as well. It’s a shame cuz I liked the 2 flavored whites I’ve tried and this sounds good.

teabird

If you like Adagio’s other flavored whites, you might like this too – I think I might just be picky about the base :/

codylynnclark

I bought this because it sounded awesome, but I just can’t get into it. I don’t know much about white tea, though.

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29
drank Throat Comfort by Yogi Tea
412 tasting notes

Mixed this 50-50 with Celestial Seasonings’ Madarin Orange Spice tonight, and I like it a lot better this way. The anise taste is still there, especially on the back end, but it’s not the only thing going on anymore. The orange comes through very well in the aroma and beginning of a sip. I’m not going to adjust the rating, but I’d give this particular blend at least a 50.

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more

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90

Got my free samples from Life In Teacup today – very exciting! Yunnan Gold Bud is indeed composed of lovely golden buds (the picture is quite accurate). I used 2.1g in my little 4oz pot (the whole sample was about 5g, so there’s enough for another strong serving) and I’ve steeped it twice so far for 1 minute each. Both steeps are a lovely honey-brown color. It smells sweet, and very tea-ish (unhelpful, I know, but it’s that true “black tea” scent) and a little earthy, like the hay flavor I get from pu-erh and white tea sometimes.

Oh, that just coats my mouth in a kind of savory honey flavor. Very full and smooth mouthfeel; zero bitterness with these steeping parameters. This is really reminding me of a milder sweeter pu-erh, which is funny because I haven’t liked pu-erh that much and I love this. I’ll add a rating after a couple more steeps :) I’m impressed. I’ve steeped this six times now, adding 30 seconds on each pair, and it’s still good (though it finally started to lose a little color on the 6th). This is like a cross between a sweet black and a lightly roasted oolong.

ETA: I ended up steeping this twice more this morning, for a total of eight steeps or four 8oz cups. From 2 grams of tea leaves. Seriously folks, this totally evens out the $8/oz price point. (If you’re interested, it comes out to 15¢ per 8oz cup if you include the multiple steeps, 60¢ if you don’t).

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 1 min, 0 sec
Jaime

I’m so excited to try this!!

teabird

It’s pretty great – I’m on my sixth steep!

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71

Clearly I just need to stop pushing this tea to be stronger than it is, because I am having a single delicious steep right now. There won’t be a second, alas, because my second steeps of this have never turned out well, but this one is very good. The sweetness of raisins and dried fruit, a nice full mouthfeel – it’s a little like bread pudding without the cinnamon. Only a little (the tea isn’t that buttery or sweet), but that’s the best comparison I can think of.

I was going to do a QPR but it appears to be out of stock currently and I can’t remember the price. I’ll update this if/when it comes back. My google-fu has come through. It was $11.95/4.05oz, or about $3/oz. A single cup at 30¢ with no resteepability is a little high for my taste (unless I love the tea), but it is fairly cheap for organic.

In any case, I vow to try to enjoy this for what it is rather than constantly trying to get more out of it.

3g, 8oz boiling water, 4:30 steep

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 30 sec

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76

Finishing up TM’s Cold Season sampler – this and Gypsy Cold Care were my favorites (over Throat Coat and Breathe Easy), in terms of flavor. This one is mild, minty, and slightly citrusy, as they say. Or at least it was, until I spilled it all over myself and the couch. Argh!

To finish the comparison: this is most similar to Breathe Easy, but easier to get down (for me, not overly fond of herbals). BE is more strongly minty, but also more herb-y and bitter; if you want to taste your medicine, try that. I liked Gypsy slightly better for its cinnamon flavor (and Throat Coat less for its licorice flavor), but really any of them are solid all-purpose medicinal herbal teas.

Preparation
Boiling 8 min or more
gmathis

Have to keep this one in mind … I can’t stand licorice; had to throw away almost a full box of Yogi’s throat stuff for that reason.

teabird

Yeah, I’ll probably be looking to give away the rest of my box of Yogi’s throat tea soon :( I find TM’s Throat Coat slightly better (and they have a Lemon Echinacea variant that tastes better still) but unless my throat is in desperate condition I go for this one or the Gypsy Cold Care.

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79
drank Snow Buds (Xue Ya) by Rishi Tea
412 tasting notes

I made this iced to take on the road today – using several steeps, 16oz of tea from 1.5 grams (about a teaspoon and a half) of leaves is a pretty great deal. Sweet, fresh, but also slightly toasty; not like roasted oolong toasty, but sunny-day dry grass toasty. Nice, and refreshing, and good at many temperatures. I think I slightly prefer it warm, but it was good chilled too.

Preparation
185 °F / 85 °C 5 min, 0 sec

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80

Definitely rich and malty, there’s a honey-sweetness that makes it just smooth enough to drink plain (if you’re braced for the tannin kick). It’s nicer with milk though, smooth and fruity.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 15 sec

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80

This reminds me a lot of Mighty Leaf’s Bleu Peacock. Like, a lot. Caramel flavored green oolong. This is probably a little smoother, a little sweeter on the aftertaste. They’re similarly priced (Bleu Peacock is $3.25/oz. This is $4.21/oz), so I’d probably buy this instead for variety when my bag of BP runs out, but I don’t drink it that often so… that could be awhile.

Nice, but nowhere near as awesome as the Coconut Pouchong – it doesn’t have the synergy between the oolong and the flavor.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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57

Still not one of my favorites, but with a shorter steep and a little milk to soften it I’m beginning to see why people like Darjeelings.

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 0 sec

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Profile

Bio

Some notes on ratings:

I’d have separate rating scales for tea types if that were possible (probably Black, Flavored Black, Darjeeling/Dark Oolong, White/Green/Light Oolong, and Herbal) because the flavors and quality markers are just too different. A flavored black rated 100 isn’t better than every oolong I’ve ever drunk, just delicious for a flavored black.

Ratings are a combination of my enjoyment and the perceived quality – I do often demote teas a few points for artificial flavorings, small quantity of steeps supported, or weakness of flavor (requiring extra leaf).

I pay less attention to the number than the order of my ratings; I don’t necessarily keep a stock of everything rated 80+, but if two breakfast blends are rated 82 and 84 I consistently enjoy the 84 more.

And in case it’s not obvious? I am not an expert. I don’t even know what I like until I taste it sometimes, but I’m ok with that :) I like learning to like new teas, as well as enjoying the comfort of familiar ones.

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